Iran Presents New Challenge to Uniquely Dysfunctional Trump Administration

Iran is now directly challenging the Trump administration. Officials in Tehran said today that they had boosted uranium enrichment above a cap set by the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal in response to treaty violations by the other signatories to the agreement. However, Iran promised to back off uranium enrichment and to honor the terms of the JCPOA if Europe can find an effective way to protect it from US sanctions, especially on oil sales.

Washington Post: "Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said on Twitter Sunday that the step was “remedial” but that Iran reserved the right to protect its interests in the face of U.S. sanctions."

“All such steps are reversible” if Europe complies with the deal, Zarif said on Twitter." 

President Trump warned Iran this week that their decision would "come back to bite" them.

Iran is calling Donald Trump's bluff. They are betting that the Trump administration has not developed a strategy short of war that will force their compliance. And they don't believe the President will start another war in the Middle East.

Britain's ambassador to the United States has been watching the Trump Administration create its Iranian policy and he is not impressed.

The Guardian: "Britain’s ambassador in the United States has described President Donald Trump and his administration as “inept” and “uniquely dysfunctional”, according to ‘leaked’ diplomatic memos published by the Mail on Sunday."

"Ambassador Kim Darroch reportedly said Trump’s presidency could “crash and burn” and “end in disgrace”, in the cache of secret cables and briefing notes sent back to Britain and seen by the newspaper."

Darroch also reported that Trump is “insecure” and “incompetent.”

Britain’s Foreign Office didn't dispute the reports and stated that they expected their ministers to provide honest, candid opinions. The remarks led in part from fears that Trump has no strategy to handle the situation with Iran.

None of this is a surprise and other published accounts of the White House substantiate Darroch's insights. It's important, however, because the Trump Administration has not faced a substantial foreign policy challenge until now. Iran's provocations will test Trump's "dysfunctional" administration.

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By: Don Lam & Curated Content